Meat roller-press.



G. G. SCHMIDT & G. NAEGELEN.

MEAT ROLLER PRESS.

APPLIOATION'IILED NOT/.13, 190B.

Patented Ji11y'26, 1910.

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WW, 965,336. Patented July 26, 1910.

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CHARLES G. SCHMIDT AND CHARLES NAEGELEN, or CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNORSTO THE CINCINNATI BUTCHERS SUPPLY COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A (303-,

PORATION OF OHIO.

MEAT ROLLER-PRESS.

Patented July 26, 1910.

Application filed. November 13,1908. Serial No. 462,384.

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES G. SCHMIDT and CHARLES NAEGELEN, bothcitizens of the United States, and residents of Cincinnati, Hamiltoncounty, State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful MeatRoller-Press; and we do declare the following to be a clear, full, andexact description of the invention, attention being called to theaccompanying two sheets of drawings, with the reference charactersmarked thereon, which form also a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improved machine for reducing meat, like aside of bacon for instance, to uniform thickness, the action being bypressure.

The object is to smoothen the opposite surfaces of pieces of meat, toflatten them to facilitate packing for shipping and to im- 1 prove theappearance of the meat. The desired effect is obtained by theapplication,

of pressure by means of rolls, a feed-device being used to move the meatthrough a con- 1 tracted space the side of which is controlled by therolls.

The invention consists of the particular construction as hereinafterdescribed and claimed and as illustrated in the accompanying two sheetsof drawings, in which Figure 1, is a side-elevation of the machine. Fig.2, is a longitudinal, vertical section of the same, taken behind thesideframe appearing in Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is a top-view of the machine.Fig. 4, is a similar view with the upper rolls and the upper part of theendless conveyer removed. Fig. 5, is a horizontal section of the machinetaken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1, no part of the lower branch of the conveyerbeing shown. Fig. 6, is an enlarged edge-view of the con veyer. Fig. 7,is a top-view of the conveyer, showing a portion of it near one of itsedges.

A, A, are two pressure-rolls of cylindrical shape. They have journals a,a at opposite ends and are mounted in boxes 10 for rotation. These boxesare supported in slotted housings B, B, and occupy a normally lowestposition in them by resting upon shoulders Z), 6 projecting fromopposite sides of the slots provided in said housings. Springs 1111 areprovided above these boxes and resist yieldingly any action to lift aroll. The resistance exercised by the pressure of these springs may beadjusted by means of. screws 12-12, seated in the upper part of thehousings. These latter are supported on two side-frames O, O, spacedparallel from each other and of suitable shape and dimensions to providebearings and supports for the various machine-elements to be presentlydescribed.

D is a movable table or apron rendered flexible by being composed of anumber of slats cl, spaced parallel and linked together by articulatedjoints to form an endless conveyer. This conveyer or apron is supportedbelow pressure rolls A A, and is of sufficient length to permit placingof the meat in front of these rolls that is opposite the face of one ofthem and to convey it through below them. For the purpose of sosupporting the apron, guide-rollers are mounted at opposite ends of themachine and properly spaced to carry the apron around where it makes theturns. Sufiicient surface is provided by the faces of these pulleys, toproperly support the apron transversely between its edges, and thissurface may be provided by pulleys of sufiicient width of the face, oneat each end, or by a number of them at each end laterally spaced apart.to use a plurality of them at each end, there being two rollers E, E, atone end mounted upon a shaft 6, and two rollers F, F, at the other endmounted upon a shaft 7.

Suitable means are provided to hold the apron at proper tension, apreferable way being by supporting one set of these rollers adjustableto or from the other set. For such purpose boxes 13 in which shaft 6 ismounted, are supported to be movable on the machineframe, screws 14being used to adjust their position. Slats (Z are made of metal and themanner of joining them to each other, to make up the endless conveyer,is best illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 They have perforations, one closeto each of their ends as shown at 15, the openings being sufficientlyelongated to permit insertion of links 16, whereby they are connected.These links are of a shape which does not require special manufacturelike sprocketchains and may be hand-forged.

To facilitate assembling of the slats, we use a construction wherebythese links may be completed and closed before being placed in positionbetween two adjacent slats. For

such purpose perforations at the ends of 'the slats are rendered openoutwardly by notching all slats endwise at both ends as shown at 17,which notches communicate with these perforations. It will now beunderstood that these links may be readily placed in position withinopenings 15, by entering them through notches 17 They find and maintaintheir proper position in opposite ends of these openings, as soon as theconveyer is stretched by means of screws 14. The advantage of thisarrangement is that an apron may be readily made up to proper length,and again, if the range of adjustment made possible by screws 14, isinsuflieient to take out for instance an excess of slack, a number ofthe slats may be taken out. This is readily done in view of theconstruction shown, which permits links 16 to be taken out throughnotches 17 the tension in the apron having first been reduced ifnecessary, by moving screws 14:, accordingly. Additional slats may beinserted in a similar manner if the conveyer is too short.

The conveyer may move in either direction, and as shown in the drawing,it moves I L 1Il the dlrection of the arrows, rotary parts revolvingaccordingly.

The meat is carried through under rolls, A, A, while resting upon theupper branch of the conveyer, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and is thuscompressed between them. The movement of the meat is a positive one anddue to the fact that the slats are spaced apart in a manner whichpermits the meat to enter these spaces to an extent suflicient to permitthe edge of the slats to engage the meat to move it. In order to sustainthe conveyer unyieldingly opposite rolls A A, and to relieve any straintending to stretch it, we provide supporting means below the same, andopposite rolls A A in form of additional rolls G, G, having journals atopposite ends whereby they are supported in boxes g, 9. There may be oneroll G, of su'liicient width under each roll -A, or a plurality ofpulley-shaped wheels as shown in Fig. 4.

As will be seen in Fig. 2, a side of meat is carried by apron D, firstunder one roll A, and then under the other one. In constructing thispart of the machine, we arrange that the amount of compression a pieceof meat is subjected to, is divided between the rolls, that is to saywhile passing under the first roll a side of meat is compressed to acertain extent, after which additional compression is applied whilepassing under the second roll. For such purpose the space between thefirst roll and the conveyer is larger than the space between this latterand the second roll. This effect may be obtained by arranging thediameter of the coacting, that is opposite rolls correspondingly, and itis done here by making rolls Gr, under the first roll A smaller indiameter than the other roll G.

The compression space below rolls A A, is adjusted by positive means tosuit the thickness of the meat to be passed through. For such purpose weprovide for the vertical adjustment of rolls G, which is done bysupporting boxes 9 g, in which 7 they are mounted movable in frame C.Screws 18 are provided upon which these boxes rest and which screws arefitted to nuts 19. These nuts may be formed in frames C, or they may beinserted into them, in which case they are held against rotation bysetscrews 21, or by otherequivalent means. It is obvious that if thesescrews are rotated, they will move vertically in their nuts, and moveboxes 9 g accordingly. It is desirable that for such adjustment, atleast the two boxes supporting one roll may be moved together, and bypreference those of the other roll are also moved at the same time, sothat any desired adjustment may be had by one manipulation. F or suchpurpose screws 18 are extended downwardly to form shafts and supportedat their lower ends in bearings formed by suitable brackets 0 0, whichmay be attached to frame C, or form parts thereof. Certain machineelements are mounted upon these four screw-shafts and operativelyconnected in a manner so that if one of them is positively rotated, theyall rotate. This positive rotation is obtained by manipulating a handleor hand-wheel 22, mounted upon a shaft 23, the latter being operativelyconnected to one of the fourscrew-shafts. We use chain-wheels for thispurpose, there being one 24 connected by a chain 25, to a chain-wheel 26on one of the four-screw-shafts. Additional chain wheels 27, aremounted, one each on the other screwshafts, and by means of two chains28, these four chain-wheels, two by each chain, are operativelyconnected. An additional chain 29 is used whereby from one set of twooperatively connected shafts, the other set.

of the two shafts is rotated. One shaft in each of the two connectedsets is for such purpose made longer and provided with a chain-wheel 31.It will now be seen that when hand-wheel 22 is operated, all fourscrew-shafts move in their nuts, and either raise or lower boxes 9 9.Only chain-wheels 31 are rigidly connected to their respectivescrew-shafts, the other chain-wheels are by preference mounted forrotation only, but permit the screw-shafts to move vertically in eitherdirection. The well known spline, or key and groove connection, is forsuch pur pose resorted to, the groove by preference being in thescrew-shafts. Sleeves or spacing collars 32 are interposed to maintainthe chain-wheels in proper position horizontally.

The extent of the adjusting movement being the same for each of thelower rolls, it follows that the particular relation of the compressingspaces, the space under the first roll A, being larger than the spaceunder the other roll, is always maintained. That is to say the firstcompressing space is al ways larger than the other space, no matter towhich particular position the lower rolls have been adjusted.

Positive movement is imparted to the apron and to the upper rolls only.Of these latter one roll drives the other, chain-Wheels 33 being mountedon their journals, which latter are extended on one side, and a chain 34is used to connect them, (see Fig. 1). On the other end of one of therolls there is also a chain-wheel driven by means of a chain 35, from achain-wheel 36, mounted on a shaft 37 as shown in Fig. 2. Anotherchainwheel 39 on a shaft 41 drives by means of a chain 42, anotherchain-wheel 43, 011 one of the shafts at the ends of the conveyer, shaft7" being so used and driven. Toot-hed wheels 44, see Figs. 1 and 3, aremounted on this shaft and so spaced thereon as to engage apron D at itsedges The teeth of these wheels enter spaces 45 between alternate slatscl, said spaces being obtained by shortening the intermediate slats, seealso Figs. 6 and 7.

It will be observed that conveyer D is adapted to be directly engaged bywheels 44, to be moved by them without the intervenience of any othermeans. Of the shafts 37 and 41, one moves the other, intermeshinggear-wheels 46 being mounted at their other ends. One of these is drivenby a pinion 47, power being applied to a pulley 48, mounted on thepinion-shaft. Auxiliary devices like chain tighteners may be appliedwherever required.

Guards 49 in form of two rods are supported on the machine-frame andbelow the conveyer. Their object is to prevent any parts of the conveyerin case of a break, from dropping onto any of the moving parts below.

51 is a shield at the feed-end of the conveyer to protect the attendantthereat while placing the meat.

52 are scrapers in yielding contact with the rolls serving to keep themclean.

Obviously the form of conveyer shown may be used in connection withpressing means arranged differently from those shown. Thus for instanceone upper roll only may be used.

Having described our invention, we claim as new: 7

1. In a meat roller-press, the combination of a plurality ofpress-rolls, a meat conveyer arranged to pass below them with a spacebetween, rolls to support the conveyer opposite each press-roll, boxesfor the journals of these rolls, screw-shafts vertically supported belowthese boxes and upon the upper ends of which these boxes rest,chain-gear whereby all these screw-shafts are connected for simultaneousrotation and means to actuate one of these screw-shafts.

2. In a meat-press, the combination of an endless meat conveyer havingnotches which extend opposite each other inwardly from its edges,pressing means arranged above the-same, and toothed wheels mounted forrotation below the notched edges of the conveyer and adapted to engagethem for the purpose of moving the conveyer with refer ence to thepressing means.

3. In a meat-press, the combination of a conveyer formed of slatsarranged parallel to each other, with spaces between them and linkedtogether to form an endless apron, pressing means arranged adjacent tothis apron and toothed driving-wheels, the teeth of which are adapted toenter the spaces between the slats and by engaging these latteredgewise, serve to move the apron past the pressing means.

4. A conveyer suitable for use in a pressing-device and formed of slats,arranged parallel to each other and linked together, alternate slatsbeing shorter at both ends to produce spaces between the slats adjoiningthem, combined with wheels mounted for rotation and having teeth adaptedto enter the spaces between the slats mentioned to engage the longerslats for the purpose of moving the conveyer with reference to thepressing means.

5. A conveyer suitable for use in a pressing-device and formed of slatshaving perforations at their opposite ends and arranged parallel to eachother, links which occupy these perforations and thereby connect theslats to form an endless apron, the slats being notched endwise, whichnotches communicate with the perforations mentioned to render them opento permit insertion or removal of the links.

6. In a meat-press, the combination of pressing-means, a meat conveyerconsisting of linked members, means to move the same with respect to thepressing means, mechanism arranged below the conveyer for adjusting theposition of the operating parts, a frame on which all these parts aremounted and guards supported on the frame and below the conveyer andbetween it and the operating mechanism mentioned.

In testimony whereof, we hereunto affix our signatures in the presenceof two witnesses.

CHARLES G. SCHMIDT. CHARLES NAEGELEN. lVitnesses C. SPENGEL, T. Lu BEAN.

